TAGS: Automotive Electrical & Electronics High Heat Materials
BASF starts marketing several polyamide (PA) and polyphthalamide (PPA) grades in Europe that it acquired as part of the takeover of Solvay’s PA66 business. These engineering plastics, previously sold as Technyl®, will continue at BASF under the established brand name Ultramid®.
Customers globally will benefit from an extensive plastics portfolio including both PA66 grades and Ultramid® One J, a PPA based on PA66/6T. Thus, BASF will support its customers in developing innovative plastics solutions across all industries, for example for E&E applications like connectors and circuit breakers, for consumer and household electronics and for autonomous driving and e-mobility.
Global Availability of the Grades
The European Commission granted BASF approval for the acquisition of Solvay’s polyamide business subject to certain conditions. As a result, BASF started to successfully sell the integrated engineering plastics in growth markets in Asia as well as North and South America. Now that the conditions have expired, BASF will bring these grades to Europe.
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We are now able to offer the additional polyamides and PPAs to our customers globally,” said Abdullah Shaikh, head of the global PPA team. “
We are looking forward to working together on projects that will unlock the full potential of Ultramid® One J for innovative E&E components. Because of its property profile this PPA is the ideal addition to our existing plastics portfolio, allowing us to offer the perfect PPA for a wide range of product requirements, including new ones.”
Outstanding Mechanical and Dielectric Properties
Ultramid® One J will be integrated into the PPA portfolio that BASF has marketed under the brand name Ultramid® Advanced since 2016. It closes the gap between BASF’s polyamide and PPA grades. The high-performance plastic has outstanding mechanical and dielectric properties in presence of humidity and at elevated temperatures, while its low water absorption ensures good dimensional stability. Ultramid® One J expands the range of component colors and designs, as it can be colored in different white shades, in addition to orange and grey. Its very high flowability makes it ideal for manufacturing small and complex components with electrical protection. The available UL cards show outstanding RTI and GWIT values. The flame retardant used is non-halogenated.
BASF and Solvay signed an agreement on the acquisition of Solvay’s integrated polyamide business in September 2017. The European Commission approved the acquisition in January 2019 under certain conditions, including the sale of Solvay’s polyamide 66 production plants in Europe. BASF concluded the acquisition of the polyamide business on January 31, 2020. Because of the backward integration for the key raw material adiponitrile (ADN), BASF now covers the entire value chain for polyamide 66 and improves its supply reliability. The business has been integrated into BASF’s Performance Materials and Monomers divisions.
BASF's Polyamide Product Range
Source: BASF
